42 convicted in a fodder scam case

A special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Ranchi convicted 42 people in a case of the multi-million rupee fodder scam.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ranchi on Tuesday convicted 42 people in a case of the multi-million rupee fodder scam.

Special CBI Judge AS Ansari convicted the 42 people in a case relating to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs.13.69 crore from the Gumla district treasury.

There were 52 accused in the case. However, six died during the trial, two are still absconding and two have been acquitted.

The court on Tuesday awarded three years' jail terms each to 11 of the 42 and slapped fines between Rs 50,000 and Rs 3,500,000 on them.

Sentences for the remaining 31 convicts will be announced on Wednesday.

When Jharkhand was carved out from Bihar in 2000, 53 of the 61 cases in the scam were transferred in Ranchi and seven CBI courts set up for speedy trials. The special courts have delivered judgment in 31 cases, convicting more than 230 of the accused and sentencing them to terms of imprisonment, ranging from three to seven years.